Insect-destroyer.



W. F. STEARNS. INSECT DESTROYER. APPLICATION' man JUNE 2,1914.

sect-Destroyers c n Tins rA'rnN WILLIAM F. STEARNS, 0F EXETER, NEWHAMPSHIRE.

menor-DESTROYER.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. STEARNS, citizen of the United States,residing at Exeter, in the county of Rockingham and State of NewHampshire, have invented certain `new anduseful Improvements in Inand Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription'of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart vto which it vappertains to make and use the same.

My invention `relates to insect destroyers and more particularly toso-called fly vswattersI adapted for household `'or v.store use. Oneobject of my invention is to provide a device of this class which may beused without producing blood spots by mashing the `insects and withoutdamaging the walls or furniture on which the insects may have settled,and which will have suiiicient flexibility to adapt itself lreadily tothe contour of the surface against which the `device is struck. Anotherobject is to provide adevice of the class described having a relativelyheavy but liexible frame carrying a flexible body, the flexibility ofthe said portions permitting a part of the frame to lag behind portionsvof the body and-to be moved into its final position by the momentum ofthe said relatively heavy frame. Another object is to provide a deviceof the class described with a main member equipped with perforations toprevent mashing of the i-nsects, but resilient in all lateral directionsand having relatively greaterresiliency in directions substantiallyparallel tothe axis of the handle of the device.

In my previously issued patent, #1065742,

dated June-24, 1913, I have 'shown anddescribed an insect destroyerhaving'a'" wirel.,`

mesh housed by a-flexible frame, the frame being equipped with a socketformation into which one end of a suitable handle is inserted. In usingdevices made according to this V found that this bending wasparticularly likely to occur on lines parallel to either of therelatively transverse wires comprising the mesh of the device. Mypresent invention is designed to overcome these objections Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1918.

Application filed June 2, 1914. Serial No. 842,396.

and also to aiford a cheaper and more easily applied handleconstruction.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an insectdestroyer embodying my invention, portions of all three of the wiremeshes being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a `fragmentary transverse section through Fig. 1 along theaxis of the handle.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the mesh of Fig. 1 andof the frame adjacent thereto.

In the embodiment of the drawings, the device of my invention consistsof three disks of foraminous material such as wire mesh superimposedupon each other and having their edges jointly embedded in a frame 4 ofsoft rubber. Two of the meshes, here designated as 1 and 2, preferablyhave their wires disposed parallel to each other, but with theoverlapping meshes in staggered relation. The other mesh 3 is pref-#equip thesaid frame with inwardly projecting and relatively thin anges6 disposed upon opposite sides of the said wire meshes. I alsopreferably provide the said flanges at one portion with a segmentalenlargement 7, which enlargement will aiford an added stiiiening forthel portion of the main member of the kdevice to which the handle 5 issecured. Thus, in the drawings, the handle 5 has a bifurcated end 8straddling the portion of the frame 4 adjacent to the said stiffeningformation 7, the handle being secured to the main member of the deviceby a vrivet 9. By suitably shaping the bifurcated portion of the handle,the latter may readily be caused to clamp both a portion of the frame 4and the adjacent portion of the reinforcing formations, therebyaffording a stiffening for the iiexible main member adjacent to itsjuncture with the handle.

It will be evident from the drawings that if the device is used on otherthan iiat surfaces, where there may be a tendency to flex theoverlapping meshes of the reticulate members of the device alon any oneof the wires composing the same, t e said wire will be `angularlydisposed to a plurality of wires Copiesof this patent Amay be obtainedfor five eentseacli, .by addressing lthe v 1 1 frWalshingtzon;3D.0'.,n vY to lag behind, 'as

'vent a ready in at least one of the reticulate members, so that thelatter will prevent an nndue'bend ing of the device. l lIt will also beevident that in using the device, the inertia Ofthe relatively heavyframe 4 will tend to cause the Pofteli 0f the treme .opposite theheiidlesho'ivn lin dotted lines 'in Fig. 2, and that consequently vthe tendencytoward an undue bending of the reticulate members will be greatestalongllinesat right angles to the axis .of the handle.v 'SI vtherejforenot only Tdispose 'at-.least two .of athe yoverlapped Vretieulatemembers with their meshes relatively at anglesto eaclifothembut whenusing. three suchniembers,-l preferably dispose tivo of :them with theirmeshes at angles tothe axis of the handle.' I By ydoing so; it Will beevident vthat thevsaid angillar disposingoi' the meshes l yand 2Will'provide an increased resistance to a lflexing ofthe mainmember ofthe device abutlines transverse of tlie'axis of .the handle;l alsothatby staggering the overlappingfmeshes of ,the members y1 and 2Whichhave theirwiresdisposedinthe same' general directions, l preflexingof the` main "member ofthe device about"anfedgi-il parallelto any Wireof the said overlapped members.

Howevenl do not vWish itob'e limitedto this particular disposition ofthefreticulate members, norSto'other details ofthe construe tion vhereindescribed, it being evident lthat the same .might bemodi-ied in'manyWays without departing .from the spirit of my invention; s v I v 1. Inyan`-insect destroyer, a peroratelieX- ibis-.body portion comprising aplurality of superposed reticulatek metallic sheets, the meshes of eachof saidsheets being out of alinement with .those-olf.; the sheets'-'next adjacent thereto and exiblemeans embedding and uniting'theentireperipheral portions of said sheets. f r Y i.

2. An insect `destroyer comprising a rigid handleand aflexiblebodyportion, 'said portion comprising a plurality of superposedreticulatemetallic disks ydisposed With the mesh s of each disk'V instaggered relation to vthose ,of the disk superposed thereon and meansengaging the peripheral portions of` disks for maintaining lation.n

them,l in said re- Aninsectdestroyer comprisin a rigid handle and aflexible body portion,s id body portion comprising va plurality .oflsuperposed retic-ulatethin .metallic meshes, with meshes of said disks.being .angiularly Vdis- .posed .with respectftothe meshes of the disksA super-posed `hereon .and .liexible means .embedding and uniting.theperipheral yportions osaid disks and.eonnectingithe,handle `with "thebody portion.`v 'i 4:. In ,an insect destroyer a flexiblebody portioneomprismgrraJ plurality .of I.flat relatively superposedf thinI'flexible =-foraminous metallic'fsheets, a flexible frame ffor saidsheetsv consistingof vulcanizedmaterial completely ,embeddingtheperipheral. portions vof .said sheets, Webs' integral .withsaid frame vextending .inwardly A sides fofsaid sheets, and aihandle embracing,thereof upon opposite saidy :Webs and vrigidly secured to saidbodymember. j

7 ,5f An inseetdestroyer:oomprisingalrigid handle .and a yflexible`.bbdy portion, said 4body portion vconsisting pf Aa plurality loi WovenWire `sheet and a flexible frame ,in

which said .sheets areisecured, .some of said Wires beingarrangedtparallel'.with andusome diagonally' ,to the axis of the,ha-mile, 4the rigidity of hesaid diagonallydisposed Wires lQbeinggreaterthan-that,ofthe wires disposed parallel to said lhandle andsaid'handle being rigidly secured tosa'id frame. Y

In ,testimony .vvhereof f1 .haveisigned my yname in presence Aof twosubscribing witnesses'.

' WILLA'M STEARNS."

Witnesses: s

vl'Seem K. MnGnoUseLL, STEWART E. 'x

sommissiqner of -Patents,

